Former Groningen ace Jan Mennega is backing Huddersfield Town midfielder Juninho Bacuna to shine at Rangers ahead of his switch to the Scottish Premiership champions, as he told the Daily Record.
While Celtic have invested heavily on the likes of Liel Abada and Kyogo Furuhashi – with Liam Scales, Giorgios Giakoumakis and Josip Juranovic expected to arrive too – Rangers had not spent a single penny since ending their decade-long wait for domestic glory.
But that has now changed.
Curacao international Bacuna is closing in on a move to Ibrox with Gerrard keen on the technically-gifted midfielder.
It is uncertain how much Rangers would pay, although Huddersfield were understood to be asking for a fee in the region of £5 million for a man who will become a free-agent next summer.
Will Juninho Bacuna be worth the money for Rangers?
“I think he can do well in Glasgow,” Mannega said of a man who started his career at hometown club Groningen before moving to Yorkshire in 2018.
“He went to Huddersfield – but if it was me, I would not have made that move.
“Huddersfield were a team that was fighting to stay in the Premier League. They were not a very good team at that time so when you’re a young player, going into that kind of situation is not good for your progression.
“Rangers would be a better move for Juninho now. I know if you asked me when I was playing, I’d have liked to have gone to Glasgow Rangers, not Huddersfield, for sure.”
Not the most consistent of players, 24-year-old Bacuna will arrive at Rangers with a point to prove.
While supremely self-confident and blessed with undoubted potential, the 24-year-old has often flattered to deceive at Huddersfield, although Gerrard’s ability to get the best out of mercurial talents like Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos should stand him in good stead on the blue side of Glasgow.
“He has the physique he would need to handle Scottish football. He can cope with the pressure of Glasgow too,” Manega added.
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